Polycarp

Polycarp (69-155 AD) was the Christian bishop of Smyrna during the 2nd century AD. He was famous for being the subject of the Martyrdom of Polycarp, a reported eyewitness account of his trial and martyrdom, which was portrayed in a similar fashion to that of Jesus.

Biography
Polycarp was born in Syria in 69 AD, and he was converted to Christianity by John the Apostle, consecrated a bishop of the Christian Church, and communicated with many who had seen Jesus. He was known for his longevity, living for 86 years; during that time, he was able to communicate with Pope Anicetus about the proper date of Easter. In 155 AD, he was said by the eyewitness report, the Martyrdom of Polycarp, to have waited to be betrayed by one of his followers, and he predicted to his followers his coming execution and its specific method, prayed intensely before being arrested, asking that God's will be done, that the man who arrested him was named Herod, and that he rode into town on a donkey; the "eyewitness report" essentially compared him to Jesus. A crowd of pagans, not satisfied with the whipping to death of several Christian prsioners, called for the arrest of Polycarp, who was arrested. He was urged by the arresting party to declare "Caesar is Lord" and to sacrifice, but he steadfastly refused. He appeared in a makeshift trial in a packed stadium, where the governor asked him to repent and say, "Away with the atheists," but he ironically looked at the crowd gathered for the festivities, gestures to them with his hand, and addressed heaven, saying, "Away with the atheists." The governor urged Polycarp to convince the crowds that he did not deserve to die, threatened to throw him to the beasts unless he recanted, and warned that he would be sent to the flames, but nothing availed. The govenror finally caved in and sent his herald into the center of the arena to announce that Polycarp had confessed himself to be a Christian, and the governor ordered him to be burned at the stake. Divine intervention prevented the fire from touching his body, and the executioner proceeded to take the dagger to him. So much blood gushed from his side that it doused the entire conflagration, and a dove emerged from the wound and flew up to heaven, with Polycarp's spirit ascending.